None of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-proposed recall petitions are expected to be ready by their deadlines, a source within the party said yesterday, which would leave the party completely on the defensive against the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) recall campaigns.
KMT lawmakers hold a narrow plurality in the 113-seat legislature and have teamed up with the Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) legislators and two independents to form an opposition majority of 62 to 51.
In January, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) called for a mass recall of KMT lawmakers.
Photo: Huang Tzu-yang, Taipei Times
Since then, citizen groups have begun recall campaigns against KMT lawmakers.
However, since the Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office on May 14 searched the KMT’s Pingtung County chapter after allegations that some signatures on a petition targeting DPP Legislator Saidhai Tahovecahe were of dead people, no one was willing to take over the signature-gathering process, the source said.
KMT headquarters and the local chapter were unable to get the process moving again, the source said.
On the other hand, campaigners seeking the recall of KMT lawmakers said their petition drives have yielded positive results nationwide, they said.
The KMT is entirely on the defensive in the recall process and must focus on convincing the public to vote against the bids, they said.
The KMT should refrain from framing the recall campaign as a conflict between the pan-blue and pan-green camps, because then the KMT would, without a doubt, fare poorly in the voting, the source said.
The party should broaden its appeal, they said, adding that the party should change its message to entice people who oppose the DPP’s policies and ideals, as well as TPP supporters and others.
KMT legislators Tu Chuan-chi (涂權吉) in Taoyuan, Yeh Yuan-chih (葉元之) in New Taipei City and Huang Chien-pin (黃健賓) in Taitung County are in the “most danger” of losing their seats, the source said.
Signature submissions for second-stage recall petitions targeting Saidhai Tahovecahe and DPP Legislator Asenay Daliyalrep were due yesterday, while those targeting DPP legislators Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) and Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) are due on Friday, Central Election Commission records showed.
Deadlines for petitions against DPP lawmakers Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) are on Saturday, Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), Wu Chi-ming (吳琪銘), Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) on June 8, and Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) on June 10, the records showed.
Deadlines for forms in the bids to remove DPP lawmakers Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) and Huang Jie (黃捷) are on June 14, Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城) on June 23 and Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇) on June 24, they showed.
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